Bidirectional associations among spatial skills, patterning, and mathematical skills in Chinese preschool children...

Early mathematical development is closely linked to children's cognitive skills. However, the longitudinal relationships among spatial skills, patterning, and mathematics in early childhood remain insufficiently understood. This study examined bidirectional associations among Chinese preschoolers' spatial skills, patterning, and mathematical skills within one academic year. A total of 281 Chinese preschoolers aged 3-6 years (Mage = 4.53 years at Time 1) participated in atwo-wave longitudinal study with an approximately 7-month interval. A cross-lagged panel model was employed to examine bidirectional relations among the spatial skills, patterning, and mathematics while controlling for age, gender, and family socioeconomic status. Results showed that the longitudinal associations among these domains varied within a single academic year. Specifically, spatial and mathematical skills showed a significant bidirectional association, indicating a reciprocal developmental relation within a single academic year. In contrast, early patterning predicted subsequent mathematical skills and spatial skills, whereas neither mathematical skills nor spatial skills significantly predicted later patterning. Moreover, significant concurrent associations among all three domains were observed at both time points. The findings highlight the value of early educational practices that integrate spatial reasoning and patterning into mathematics instruction in the short term, while longer-term validation is still needed.